VectisSaint

Norwich, Derby and Barnsley didn't win either, so not all bad news. Forget Forest, they are no longer relegation candidates with Davies in charge (IMHO) and perhaps the same can be said of Donny.

Not when he didn't have Snodin as assistant he didn't. Only just over 1 point per game before Snodin's arrival and after his departure. Trouble is as so often, Alps is absolutely spot on, but no one likes to agree with him because he doesn't go to games. Bloody good comeback tonight though. I switched off when we went 2-0 down, seems it had the desired effect which is what happens when you field a proper team rather than JP's one. We may have dropped points to Donny and Forest, but their season is on the up, plus side is we have closed on Derby and kept pace with Norwich who look the more likely relegation candidates now.

Because, we all know that MLT has been saying something quite different publicly on Sky, thats why. He has clearly been "threatened" in some way, as was David Armstrong (I don't mean with violence, but a gentle reminder that he is still an employee of the plc (like Franny) I believe. Told to toe the line. Unless you are completely nieve I cannot believe that you actually think this is a genuine quote from either of the guys.

I found it a little odd on the other OS thread (banishing negativity) that he had spoken with the senior players (Perry, Wotten, Davis, Svensson, Euell and Thomas) but not Saga and Rudi. I would have thought they were senior players as well. Even Size probably fits the bill in terms of age at least.

Sounds like the board have twisted MLT's and Franny's arm a bit...

Agree with you, after all most Dutch strikers are poor, I mean who would want Von Nistlerooy, Bergkamp, Hasselbaink etc. But beware, Denneboom has 1 international cap, against the mighty Liechtenstein , hardly the highest level.

So I guess you would also expect the FC Chairman to have had the meeting with JP and the players last week when Lowe gave JP his backing... Not quite so black and white is it? I thought Wilde had vapourised, he has been absent so long, all of a sudden he is back when the coach resigns.

So it has nothing to do with tactics, players, managers, its all down to the supporters. Rearrange these words and then we will all see where you are coming from: land cuckoo cloud. It matters not a jot whether the crowd gets behind the team, barracks the team, the ground is full or the ground is empty. The basic reason is that our recently departed nice but dim amateur coach could not see that playing one up front at home is a recipe for disaster. It worked away, sometimes, because the other teams in the CCC go out to win at home, and so leave gaps and opportunities to counter attack. Whereas at home, we go out with a one-up-front defensive minded approach and invite the visitors to play. Coupled with our inability to deal with crosses and corners effectively this strategy is the worst possible option. Incidentally it is a fallacy that we are really good away. We have lost as many away as we have at home, only 6 teams have lost more away games, our away goal difference is also worse than at home. When we win away we almost always nick it by 1 goal (Doncaster excepted) but we have also had some heavy defeats on the road.

This was the bit that always annoyed me about the whole affair. Pearson was actually EXACTLY the sort of manager Lowe had always espoused as his favoured way forward (except when he was having tangerine dreams). Young English manager, experienced working with youngsters. Look at NP's CV, it covers his involvement with the England set up at every level up to and including u21. This suggests to me that even the old Blazer Brigade at the FA recognise that this guy knows how to work with young talent. Even if you don't believe he has any other talent then this is a given in my opinion. One day perhaps Lowe will look back and realise what a prize ***** he is for letting go one of the brightest prospects in English league football at the moment, just so he could experiment with the Cloggers. And I didn't even cover the loanees....

Dowie is the one guy who has enough intelligence to say no, even if he was offered the job. Most other managers would bite Lowe's hand off, Iain understands the position, knows how difficult it would be to work with Lowe and wouldn't contemplate it under the present regime IMHO. Maybe one day Dowie will manage Saints, but I doubt very much it will happen while Lowe is around.

Jackanory

Changes nothin, in fact it is even more evidence that Wilde and Lowe have to go. Just means it can be more focused now as there are only 2 primary targets for the protest (1) Wilde and (2) Lowe. I understand that Lowe may not even be at the game, but so what (or Wotte)? Wilde will probably be there and should be quaking in his boots without Lowe around to protect him from the Lunatic Fringe.

Other than the fact that it appears there were only 7 at the meeting does anyone have any news on what actually happened?

Bye Jan, you were nice but dim, unlike your successor who only has one of those qualities apparently.

**** me no, even Wotte is better that Ossie, just.

That was because most of last season we were in a "bid situation" (official SE term, didn't mean we really were) and as such SE rules required all information to go through the SE first. Now we are not the SE couldn't give a toss, after all we won't be one of their customers for much longer.

They took the opportunity to see what it was like to have a game in an empty stadium I guess. And why did we play football yesterday, when we have singularly failed to play football at home all season

No problem, the best way to get rid of Lowe is to spook Wilde, clearly Wilde is already running scared, if he had Lowe there with him, he could hide behind him and imagine he was a man rather than a mouse. Lowe being or not being at the game is totally irrelevant.

Something really odd about all this. (1) Why did the OS say Wotte is in charge for the Norwich game? (2) Why did Wilde make the statement (and not Lowe)? (3) Why does Sky now all of a sudden say its permanent? (4) Why has this happened just as a group of shareholders are holding a meeting at the De Vere (5) Why was Wotte not appointed Head Coach in the first place, after all he was lined up for the job originally but we got Burley instead, and his CV, unlike JP's is actually quite impressive, if he had been Head Coach we would not have been aboe to level the criticism of him being an amateur or out of his depth like we did with JP If I didn't know Lowe and Wilde better, I would perhaps ponder on whether Wilde has actually done this behind Lowe's back, and persuaded JP to stand down. Maybe thats just wishful thinking, hoping that Wilde and Lowe have had the fall out that we have been praying for all season so that Lowe can finally be ousted. Ah well I can dream I suppose. I reckon that someone else will be in place next week, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was Hoddle (and as long as he has Gorman to back him I would be happy with this). Could be an interesting few days.

We would be docked points (not necessarily 3) for not being able to fulfill a fixture. The players would not get paid and would be fined 2 weeks wages by SFC which could be used to pay the fine that would also be imposed. We could also be liable for paying any costs incurred for the opposition. Not too good an idea really...

Then don't go to any more games, perhaps its you and adrian that are putting the hex on the boysh

Agreed, Ali Dia clearly had more experience playing football than this guy has as a Director of Football, that was a bit of an insult to Ali (where is he now that his club needs him?). Do you really think that someone experienced as a DoF in any sort of professional football league around the world would not show up in extensive google searches. The google world is far reaching and deep, it is almost impossible to escape its clutches.

I would think it will be 1 or more, though with the current plonker in charge, 1 would probably be the best bet.

What WGS gave us was one of the fittest teams in the PL, and a team that was built around small units of 2 players that complemented each other and helped to make a cohesive whole. Since WGS left we have never had a team of fit players. WGS was average in the transfer market, but one has to remember that all his transfers had the hand of Lowe in them, so who knows what he would have done with a proper chairman working with him. Even though we know now that Niemi wasn't WGS's choice, who is to say that his choice (can't recall the name of the keeper from Croatia I think) wouldn't have turned out even better, after all Niemi's career never really fully recovered after his injury in the Cup Final. However, in my mind WGS is up there with the best, I would give my right arm to have him back now.

Little Bobby Stokes at Wembley in 76, still does it for me. Nothing will ever compare to that moment. In more recent times Kamara v Norwich meant so much on the day, but ultimately did not save us.